Just that Sinner

51

The freedom she feels now is much different from her upbringing. It feels like just yesterday she was sitting at the table for dinner.
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If you were to look around the plantation-like setting, you'd think that you traveled back in time! You wouldn't think a state as big as California would have a deserted, desert such as this. Everyone has a smile on their face but the look of trauma and pain in their eyes.
While everyone else sat at the obnoxiously long table and hold hands to pray, Meagan was secluded. She was forced to sit on the floor facing the wall with no one but Jedidiah looking over her.
Everyone chants,
"We thank our God for Father Albert who is thy God in flesh. We ask of thee to keep us strong in thy faith and devotion to Father Albert. May you cut down on those who stray for without complete devotion we are worthless. In thy name, we pray
Amen"
They all must recite the prayer at every mealtime, it's engraved into everyone's mind. Meagan sits and stares at the wall, refusing her food in hopes she could just starve to death. "Your body is a temple, to go without food is to starve the Lord's altar," Jedidiah tells her as his way of making her eat. She obeys without a second to think about it, too afraid to go against anyone's wishes. She wants to ask for help but doesn't know where to go, she wants to run away but doesn't want Amethyst to get in trouble.  This plantation has its own town secluded from the rest of the world, with no electronics besides a phone that only certain people can use, and no way to contact the outside world. 
Meagan isn't allowed to talk to anyone after meal times and has to stay secluded more so than usual. She spends most of her time washing her many brothers and sisters' clothing. Every so often she'd look out the window and watch Amethyst go get the mail, just hoping she'd look over but that never happened.
Father Albert leads Meagan into a room hidden in the temple, he speaks to her about marrying her off soon and his words bring Meagan to a panic but she doesn't argue. "Yes sir, if that's what the Lord wants then that's what I'll do." She replies.  "Very good, if you need any instruction for what to do on your wedding night I'd be happy to go over it with you." Father Albert tells her with a disturbing grin on his face. "I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Father." She replies and is sent back to her work. Once alone she begins to cry, she doesn't want to get married to anyone, let alone her own cousin. He is so much older than her and it makes her feel uncomfortable but, there is no other way, she has to do this.